NEW YORK -- Even though Saturday night's fight between unified junior welterweight world champion Danny Garcia and titleholder Lamont Peterson was a nontitle bout contracted at a catch weight of 143 pounds, the outcome still cost Peterson his belt.

Peterson lost a majority decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and thus was stripped of his 140-pound world title by the IBF. Peterson would have not been stripped had he won his second nontitle bout in his last four fights.

With the belt now vacant -- and Peterson saying after the fight that he might be headed for the welterweight division anyway -- the IBF said Sunday that it will order 34-year-old Argentine southpaw Cesar Rene Cuenca (47-0, 2 KOs) to face South Korea's Ik Yang (19-0, 14 KOs), 30, to fight for it. Cuenca and Yang are the top fighters in the organization's rankings.

Cuenca is coming off a unanimous decision over Albert Mensah in a title eliminator last May in Argentina. Yang, a regular on Top Rank's cards in Macau, China, knocked out Patomsuk Pathompothong in the sixth round of a title eliminator on March 7 in Macau.

The fight between Cuenca and Yang, should a deal be made, could take place on Top Rank's next card in Macau, which is scheduled for July 18.